The leading royal princes and their wives have several titles and for ease of reference these are set out below.
House of Windsor
George VI (r. 1936–52)
Known as HRH The Duke of York 1920–36
Born as Prince Albert (1895)
Married Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon
who became Queen Elizabeth (1936–52)
HRH The Duke of Windsor (1936–72)
who was Edward VIII (January–December 1936)
Born as Prince Edward (1894)
known as David or ‘D’ by his family
Married Wallis Simpson,
known as the Duchess of Windsor (1937–86)
HRH The Duke of Gloucester (1928–74)
Born as Prince Henry (1900)
Married Lady Alice Montagu-Douglas-Scott,
known as HRH the Duchess of Gloucester (1935–2004)
HRH The Duke of Kent (1934–42)
Born as Prince George (1902)
Married Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark,
known as HRH the Duchess of Kent (1934–68)
Notable German descendants of Queen Victoria during the Second World War
Prince Philipp of Hesse (1896–1980), great-grandson of Queen Victoria
Married Princess Mafalda, daughter of King Victor Emanuel of Italy
Prince Christoph of Hesse (1901–43), great-grandson of Queen Victoria
Married Princess Sophia of Greece and Denmark
House of Saxe-Coburg
Charles Edward, Duke of Saxe-Coburg & Gotha (1884–1954)
Grandson of Queen Victoria
Additional characters: friends or associates of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor
Betty Lawson-Johnston
American high-society friend of the Dukes of Kent and Windsor, married to British businessman and philanthropist, Ormond Lawson-Johnston
Charles and Fern Bedaux
Charles Bedaux: American citizen, millionaire entrepreneur, associate of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor
Axel Wenner-Gren
Swedish citizen, millionaire creator of the Electrolux Company, owner of the world’s largest yacht and friend of the Duke of Windsor
Ricardo Espírito Santo Silva
Portuguese host to the Duke of Windsor, banker and, according to British intelligence, suspected of laundering German funds looted from captive countries
Friends or advisers to George VI
Sir John ‘The Snake’ Simon
Home Secretary 1935–7
Chancellor 1937–40
Lord High Chancellor 1940–5
The Viscount Halifax, ‘The Holy Fox’
British Ambassador to the United States 1940–6
Neville Chamberlain, ‘The Old Umbrella’
Prime Minister 1937–40
Franklin D. Roosevelt and Eleanor Roosevelt
President and First Lady of the United States 1933–45
And finally
Winston Churchill
Prime Minister 1940–5, 1951–5